1. Show don't tell.
Use concrete words to be more specific and detailed.
Ex. "The bird flew across the sky" - needs work
"The black bullet of feathers shot through the mist." - Much better
2. Let the subject choose you.
Be open and let your mind wander.
Ex. "One hundred tiny leprechauns danced across the surface of the drum. Frantic and lively, the little feet land with exhausting speed."
3. Cheat don't steal.
Take ideas and make them your own.
Ex. Copy Change Poem
Unexpected
In food I savor spicy flavor
In life I cherish vivid excitement
In friends I collect bold lively people
And in colors I admire fushia and lime hues
My husband, a bland man from the country
Pesters, "Then how can you love me?"
Boldly I embrace him-
There are so many emotions logic will never trump.
(Written in the style of William Stratford)
4. Don't end your story by killing everyone off.
Have a resolution or keep the reader thinking.
Ex. " Oh wait, I hear something in the darkness. A wild, inhuman cry of angry malice. He knows." The journal entry ends abruptly.
5. Suspend your disbelief.
Don't filter everything through your fact-o-meter.
Ex. "The twisted black metal is all that remains from the patient's struggle. Richard Raven had his way. " This was written about a scrap of metal found on the Navy base.
6. Spark the reader' scuriosity.
Hide something from the reader to draw them in.
Ex. " Harry sat staring at the wooden chest that was covered in dust and cobwebs. Had he known this thins was up here he would have cleaned to attic long ago. Knowing he probably shouldn't, he reached down to open the chest. A cold metal lock held the top down, but only made Harry even more interested."
7. Use interesting comparisons to describe common objects.
Make the reader see ordinary objects in a new way.
Ex. Sprinklers- emotionally unstable faucets
Stairs- tired legs' downfall
8. Get in character.
Gather infomation about a stranger who is very different from yourself. Write from their perspective.
Ex. Mattthew Alan Mullaney- Most Wanted Criminal
" I was terrified as I lay in bed. I knew I would never be safe again. I had unknowingly chosen this life for myself that August evening."
9. Use the way words sound to convey deeper meaning.
Alliteration can emphasize a certain tone.
Ex.The dark figure stumbled down the dirty dock, the darkness hiding him from suspicion.
10. Describe a sensation in terms of another senses.
Describe a sound as a smell.
Ex. His voice is the smell of your last bag of popcorn as it burns to lack in the microwave.
1. Show don't tell.
Use concrete words to be more specific and detailed.
Ex. "The bird flew across the sky" - needs work
"The black bullet of feathers shot through the mist." - Much better
2. Let the subject choose you.
Be open and let your mind wander.
Ex. "One hundred tiny leprechauns danced across the surface of the drum. Frantic and lively, the little feet land with exhausting speed."
3. Cheat don't steal.
Take ideas and make them your own.
Ex. Copy Change Poem
Unexpected
In food I savor spicy flavor
In life I cherish vivid excitement
In friends I collect bold lively people
And in colors I admire fushia and lime hues
My husband, a bland man from the country
Pesters, "Then how can you love me?"
Boldly I embrace him-
There are so many emotions logic will never trump.
(Written in the style of William Stratford)
4. Don't end your story by killing everyone off.
Have a resolution or keep the reader thinking.
Ex. " Oh wait, I hear something in the darkness. A wild, inhuman cry of angry malice. He knows." The journal entry ends abruptly.
5. Suspend your disbelief.
Don't filter everything through your fact-o-meter.
Ex. "The twisted black metal is all that remains from the patient's struggle. Richard Raven had his way. " This was written about a scrap of metal found on the Navy base.
6. Spark the reader' scuriosity.
Hide something from the reader to draw them in.
Ex. " Harry sat staring at the wooden chest that was covered in dust and cobwebs. Had he known this thins was up here he would have cleaned to attic long ago. Knowing he probably shouldn't, he reached down to open the chest. A cold metal lock held the top down, but only made Harry even more interested."
7. Use interesting comparisons to describe common objects.
Make the reader see ordinary objects in a new way.
Ex. Sprinklers- emotionally unstable faucets
Stairs- tired legs' downfall
8. Get in character.
Gather infomation about a stranger who is very different from yourself. Write from their perspective.
Ex. Mattthew Alan Mullaney- Most Wanted Criminal
" I was terrified as I lay in bed. I knew I would never be safe again. I had unknowingly chosen this life for myself that August evening."
9. Use the way words sound to convey deeper meaning.
Alliteration can emphasize a certain tone.
Ex.The dark figure stumbled down the dirty dock, the darkness hiding him from suspicion.
10. Describe a sensation in terms of another senses.
Describe a sound as a smell.
Ex. His voice is the smell of your last bag of popcorn as it burns to lack in the microwave.